WASHINGTON — Forecasters said Thursday they expect between seven and 10 hurricanes to hit the Atlantic basin this year, with as many as five likely to reach major hurricane status.

Dr. Gerry Bell of the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a conference call Thursday morning there was an 85 percent chance of an above normal hurricane season — the peak of which is fast approaching.

Marking an increase from its storm outlook from May, Bell said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts between 14 and 19 named storms — including the five named storms so far this year — will form during the six-month Atlantic hurricane season that began June 1.

He also said three to five of those storms were likely to be major hurricanes.

NOAA does not predict how many hurricanes will make landfall, which is largely dependent on daily weather patterns that are difficult to forecast far in advance, but forecasters urged Americans living in vulnerable areas to be prepared.

Tropical storm Emily, the fifth named storm of the year, was beginning to lash Haiti with strong winds and rain Thursday and could eventually make landfall in the US. Haitian authorities canceled all domestic flights and shut down government buildings as the storm approached, urging residents not to leave their homes if possible, AFP reported.

Bell said during the conference call that “folks in eastern Florida should be on their toes” as Emily has the potential to cross the Sunshine State after moving up through Haiti and Cuba.

Steve Woodward, FEMA deputy assistant administrator for response, added that, “Now is the time, if you haven’t already, for you and your family to get prepared.”

Expectations of a very active hurricane season come as “extreme weather is on the rise” in the US with 2011 already proving to be fatal and costly year, Dr. Jack Hayes, director of the NWS, told reporters.

The costs of natural disasters have climbed past $32 billion in 2011 — a year in which the US has seen severe flooding in the Midwest, heatwaves across the county and over 500 deaths from a brutal tornado season.